Court revokes order to axe judges

A Tunisian court has blocked President Kais Saied's dismissal of about 50 judges, underscoring the continued independence of courts, despite Saied's moves to assume wider authority over the judiciary. A report on the TRT World site notes that the Tunis Administrative Court had rejected the appeals of at least seven judges, but blocked the dismissal of the others, pending a final ruling by a higher court. Among those fired was Youssef Bouzaker, the former head of the Supreme Judicial Council, whose members Saied replaced this year as he moved to take control of the judiciary. The council had acted as the main guarantor of judicial independence since Tunisia's 2011 revolution that introduced democracy and Saied's changes prompted accusations that he was interfering in the judicial process.